News

Hepatitis A scare at Target pharmacies in Hayward, San Leandro

By Erin Ivie eivie@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted:
06/06/2013 06:59:04 AM PDT

Updated:
06/06/2013 11:34:54 AM PDT

The label of Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., Organic Antioxidant Blend, packaged under the Townsend Farms label at Costco and under the Harris Teeter brand at those stores. The Oregon company is recalling a frozen berry mix sold to Costco and Harris Teeter stores after the product was linked to at least 34 hepatitis A illnesses in five states. (FDA via The Associated Press)

HAYWARD -- Frozen berries from Costco recently linked to hepatitis A cases continued to cause problems this week, when Target stores in Hayward and San Leandro alerted some customers that prescriptions were filled by a technician who may have contracted the disease after eating the berries.

The pharmacy employee, who wasn't identified, was hospitalized with the only reported case of hepatitis A in Alameda County linked to the Townsend Farms berries, and has since been treated and released, said Sherri Willis, spokeswoman for the Alameda County Public Health Department.

The staffer was first diagnosed this week and came into contact with numerous prescriptions while they would have been contagious, estimated to be from May 5 to May 24, officials said.

The two Target store pharmacies, at 2499 Whipple Road in Hayward and 15555 E 14th St. in San Leandro, sent out an automated phone message Monday to all customers whose oral prescriptions were filled by the employee during that time period, instructing them to stop taking the medication and return to the Target pharmacy for a fresh refill. FedEx packages were sent Tuesday afternoon from Target corporate offices to the customers, with a copy of the county health advisory and a letter from Target with instructions for returns and reimbursements.

Maria Piscopo, a 59-year-old Union City resident who fills her prescriptions at the Hayward store, praised the company's handling of the incident, despite the alarm it caused when she received the automated phone call about the prescription she filled May 17.

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"I'm really impressed with how Target has handled this and pleased that county health services has issued a health advisory," Piscopo said. "I'm not at all put off by the thought of continuing to refill my prescriptions there. I love the Target pharmacy. This doesn't change that."

According to Willis at the county health department, the threat of contracting hepatitis A is not a concern for every person who gets their prescriptions filled at the pharmacy, and only patients whose prescriptions were filled by the infected employee, who take their medications by mouth, received notification from the pharmacy.

"The risk of exposure, we feel, is low," Willis said. "So we're just being extremely cautious. People who feel they have been exposed or are symptomatic we are advising to see their medical provider."

Though it has not been confirmed that the hepatitis A contracted by the employee is the same strain associated with the berries, the person did consume the Townsend Farms' Organic Antioxidant Blend, a mix of cherries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, raspberries and strawberries, officials said.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can last from a few weeks to several months. People often contract it when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene. Food already contaminated with the virus can also cause outbreaks.

While the California Health and Safety code requires strict hand-washing and/or glove-wearing of all food-handling employees, pharmacy regulations differ in their methods of counting out pills, said Bob Ratcliffe, supervising inspector for the California Board of Pharmacy. While state licensing regulations do require sinks with hot-and-cold running water be installed in all pharmacies for hand-washing purposes, they also require pharmacists to use a spatula and counting tray when dispensing medications, and the standard of practice is for technicians to not ever handle medications with their hands.

According to Ratcliffe, a board inspector since 1994 and pharmacist since 1972, technicians will count out pills by fives with the spatula, dumping the balance back into the container without ever having to use their hands. It would be unusual for tablets to be handled by anyone's hands, Ratcliffe said.

Both Ratcliffe and Board Executive Officer Virginia Herold agreed that the actions taken by Target are most likely a major precaution, and that despite the low likelihood of a threat, the store is taking no chances.

"If there is a possible problem, they're taking steps to prevent the problem, and that's wonderful," Herold said. "This is a perfect example of how the market should be able to manage themselves without the government getting in the middle."

Piscopo, who doesn't have to take her medication every day and had only taken 4 or 5 of the pills, returned her medication to Target Wednesday morning, and was given a fresh refill, information about vaccination reimbursement, and instructions to see her physician.

Despite the low risk reported by the Department of Public Health, Piscopo said her doctor promptly called her back after being advised of the alert.

"In less than two hours, my doctor went from 'I don't know what you're talking about' to "How fast can you get in here?" Piscopo said.

Hepatitis A illnesses occur within 15 to 50 days of exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool.

Vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure, and those who have already been vaccinated are unlikely to become ill, according to the CDC. Most patients recover completely, but hepatitis A can lead to hospitalization and severe illness, the state Department of Public Health says.

No further cases of hepatitis A linked to either the tainted berries or exposed medications have been reported, said Willis, who noted that the Target announcement only went out less than two days ago.

"It is not everybody who went to the pharmacy, it is not all prescriptions," Willis said. "From our end, we're helping Target understand who is at risk, and who is exposed. And we're following up with anyone who thinks they may be exposed."

While Willis could not estimate how many customers received the notice from the Target store, she notes that it was sent to anyone who had their oral medications filled by the specific employee between May 5 and May 24. The health advisory letter sent to Piscopo goes as far to narrow the dates of exposure to May 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 24.